The Winston-Salem Journal takes a look at new Police Chief Scott Cunningham’s first 30-or so days on the job:
Cunningham worked on July 4, reading, driving around the city and backing up officers on a few calls. He said he works 11-hour days regularly and then takes reports home with him.
A police radio on his desk squawks and chirps. Cunningham said he likes to keep up with what patrol officers are dealing with.He said he has yet to make any major decisions. Some observers said they hope the department will follow through on the early promise of change.
“He listens to his radio, he responds to calls,” said Lou Ellen Taylor, the president of the local Police Benevolent Association, the largest group representing Winston-Salem officers. “He’s made a lot of good impressions.”
…..On Cunningham’s desk are stacks of documents, a family portrait and a policeman cookie jar — a gift from his children.
Beside his desk he keeps an easel with the major looming issues written on a large pad of paper.
His attention is focused on the easel.There’s the obvious — “Crime” is written in red marker. The city has seen increases of more than 15 percent from 2007 to 2008 in property crimes and most violent crime.
That’s a start. Note also that Cunningham also wants to devise a consistent system for promotion, a problem with the Greensboro Police Department that was exposed by its recent consultant’s report. I’m a little slow here, but it’s dawning on me that in many cities, the police department is just another part of local government bureaucracy where policies make little, if any sense.
